Board of Directors

Rev. WandaJohnson

Rev. Wanda Johnson has become an amplified voice of empathy and compassion for individuals seeking justice, grieving, and healing from innocent lost lives by hands of law enforcement. Her beloved only son Oscar Grant III was murdered by a Oakland Bart transit officer on January 1, 2009.Her experience around the justice process, the media, and legalities around trial, strategy, and community work has become a key role nationally as she travels the world seeking justice for our communities world-wide. She works side by side with the mothers of Mike Brown, Sandra Bland, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, and countless other families. This past April, Beyonce took to their solidarity in her special visual album, ‘Lemonade’ featuring some of all of the mothers including Wanda.
The Oscar Grant tragedy was a re-awakening to taking an action for justice. Oakland’s demand for justice ignited a national movement demanding justice in all similar cases. Such publicity caught the attention of Forest Whittaker. In 2013, He produced hit film, ‘Fruitvale Station’, a story that humanizes Oscar Grant’s last day of life.
She is CEO of The Oscar Grant Foundation, a 501(c)3, that helps at-risk youth, grieving families, students support and enrichment, education, and hunger. The Foundation also has it’s own AAU basketball team in honor of Oscar called, The O.G Ballers.
Wanda hopes to also improve the social inequities caused by negative stereotyping in law enforcement. She is an international motivational speaker, established gospel minister, and makes monthly appearances around the world impacting hearts in similar struggles. A dynamic well-spoken activist she has made guest appearances on nationally syndicated television programs, at respected universities, and at public forums. She continues to bring attention to injustices that remain prevalent in law enforcement and the criminal justice system.

Shante'Spears

Shante’ oversees the housing programs and supportive services for housing participants and their families at Beyond Emancipation. She provides program development and supervision to the housing team. Shante’ has been serving Bay Area youth for over ten years. Before coming to Beyond Emancipation, Shante’ provided mental health counseling to children and families that reside throughout Alameda County. Shante’s approach as Housing Division Manager is to create a safe and stable environment that allows participants in the housing programs to become creative, connected, resourceful, and whole through a combination of coaching and case management support. Shante’ holds a BA degree in Sociology from California State University, East Bay and a Master Degree in Counseling with emphasis on Marriage Family Therapy from California State University, East Bay.

ChantayMoore

Chantay Moore, Oscar's older sister, works as a restaurant general manager where she provides supervision and training to a team of 15 employees. As general manager, she is also responsible for the day-to-day operations of the facility. Chantay's experience and expertise in logistics brings a vital skill set to the Foundation. Chantay is currently attending college and is looking forward to obtaining a degree in management.

SaundraEve-Fischer

Saundra is an ordained minister of the gospel and currently works for the City of Oakland where she utilizes her customer service, communication, and organizational skills. Working for the City of Oakland affords Saundra the opportunity to support City officials on various projects within their district, including cease fire night walks and other community events. She has served the community in which she lives and works by organizing prayer walks, feeding the homeless, and caring for those who are less fortunate.

Pastor AnthonyWoods

Pastor Woods is a native of the Bay Area, and a high school classmate of Rev. Wanda, where "The Good Rev." was a well respected basketball player and scholar . After being graduated from Mt. Eden High School in Hayward, he attended Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. While in college, he participated in a language study abroad program in Blois, France, allowing him to travel extensively throughout Europe, and experience life from a different social lens. After college, he attended Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco, and thereafter, maintained a solo law practice, serving traditionally under-served and at-risk communities. Having personally experienced childhood trauma, Pastor Woods relied on his faith in God, and the love and support of family and friends to refocus his passion on helping at-risk youth to overcome trauma, and to rise above negative stereotyping. Pastor Woods worked with Oscar in the Royal Ambassadors program at Palma Ceia Baptist Church in Hayward. Currently, Pastor Woods serves as the Youth Education Pastor at Word Assembly Church, and oversees an Academy addressing the needs of West Oakland youth ages 10-17. He is the loving father of 3 adult children, and 3 adorable grandchildren, and if properly motivated, he can still squeeze in a respectable dunk!.

Nina YangBongiovi

Nina Yang Bongiovi is a seasoned film professional with over 16 years of combined production, finance and management experience in the entertainment industry between Hollywood and Asia. Nina develops and creates business strategies and alliances covering feature films, television, documentaries and digital content with domestic & global strategic partners for Significant Productions based in Los Angeles. Most recently, she and her Producing Partner, Forest Whitaker, returned to the Sundance Film Festival 2015 with two films, Dope, written and directed by Rick Famuyiwa, and Songs My Brothers Taught Me, written and directed by Chloé Zhao, in U.S. Dramatic Competition. Dope won the Special Grand Jury Award for Excellence in Editing and is being released by Open Road Films and Sony Pictures International. Nina and Whitaker also produced the critically acclaimed, Fruitvale Station, written and directed by Ryan Coogler, which won The Audience and The Grand Jury Prize at 2013 Sundance Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival’s L’Avenir Award, and was released theatrically by The Weinstein Co. Nina is fluent in Mandarin, Chinese and received her graduate degree in Entertainment Management from the University of Southern California.